Denmark

The Danish capital is exactly what you would expect of a big Scandinavian city: clean, efficient, stylish and expensive. The town centre itself is fairly small but it is crammed with lots of things to do, shopping and eating well, being two of the favourites. For design aficionados, the design element of the city will be a definite highlight; with a confirmed legacy of notorious Danish designers who have changed the course of history through their perception of the design and function of everyday objects. Exploring the Design Museum, the Alexandra Hotel or the historic Radisson Blu Royal Hotel in the main city square are a must. It is here and in the various design showrooms that you will find pieces by big name designers or 'architects' as the Danes call them, like Arne Jacobsen, Finn Juhl and Verner Panton, whose ideas are now intrinsic to present-day society's perception of taste where interior design is concerned. Once you have seen all the monuments on your hit-list like the cobbled streets lined by multicoloured terraced houses in Nyhavn, the Little Mermaid, the Amaliensborg Castle and Tivoli Gardens, take the time to sit at one of Copenhagen's 600 restaurants. Make sure you start saving up early though as food doesn't come cheap. And when you've had your fill of haute-cuisine, then head to the hippy community of Christiania in the Christianshavn district. As cliché as it may be, with psychedelic graffiti adorning the walls and markets brimming with colourful silks and hemp clothing, the area is actually one of the most pleasant in the city - especially in the summer. One of the highlights of Copenhagen is to be able to picnic along the banks of the lake in Christiania. That's right, this little bubble that used to be an army compound (and where you will find all sorts of recreational drugs on sale along Pusher Street), is a haven of countryside right at the heart of this urban thriving metropolis. Other areas to explore include the peaceful Islands Bryggae - a harbour-come-lido in the summer on the other side of the canal as you walk past Central Station. Residential but extremely trendy, this area often hosts free open-air concerts during the city's main annual event: the Copenhagen Jazz Festival (first ten days of July). Our favourite area, where you will find a handful of some of the world's coolest bars is the old meat-packing district in Vesterbro just behind central Station and before the canal. Another area not to miss is Norrebro, where there are a number of unusual and quirky shops and bars to watch the world go by; not forgetting the floating bar just after the bridge in the summer! Otherwise, locals are a friendly bunch who are on the whole always willing to help a non-Danish speaker in need. However, we recommend you keep a low profile when it rains - a bit like cats, the Danes don't like getting wet and aren't scared to lash out if annoyed! On a more serious note, the city itself is extremely pleasant to wander around, especially due to its large parks and canals that encase the city centre. The city has a very lively Scandinavian and international jazz scene, with big names like Charles Lloyd and Brad Mehldau gracing the city's myriad quirky jazz clubs and larger venues like the opera house, or 'black stone', as it is known locally.